GURPS 4e Gladiators Arena

The First Games April 1st

The First Games

2

APR/13

In the city of Patavium, Gavius Batiatus opened a new Ludus. After couple of weeks (few training sessions), he finaly found and got trained few gladiators to present his new ludus to public. Not that he would expected a glorious, unfogetable and legends-writing step-in into the world of games, but he still kinna hoped that his three finest recruits would get decently recived and therefore his new gladiator school would earn some respect and sound. For the first games which he hosted in Pataviums’ small arena, Gavius decided to challenge Ludus Crassus, yet well established Gladiators house in Patavium.

For presenting his Ludus in the first games, he chose promising greek slave with hardly tameable temper Parmenion fighting as a Thraex, whoms oponent was chosen Drixus, The Rage, cold-blooded Murmillo, who yet lives just thanks to his “ideal stoic” manners, which are liked by a upper-class roman citizens.
Second, Blood-thirsty Gaelic slave Gaius Aemilius, fighting as retiarius against Titus Vorren, Murmillo who already had a slight chance to build himself a decent reputation in a city of Patavium.
And finaly Third, unexpected, exotic Far-Eastern slave Jia Si Tian Shi seemingly promising, yet a little risky purchase, against Adawolf, German giant Dimachaerus, not long ago a Batiatus’ gladiator whom he sold to gain money for buying “Jia”.

“We who are about to die salute you!”
… and The First Games began …

First duel went very well for House of Batiatus. Parmenion, with a notable portion of luck, managed to outmanuever more experienced Drixus, withstand his shield rushes, once even sending his oponent down to the sand, and at the end to disarm himt with a callous slash to Dixus’ forearm. After that, Drixus didn’t stand much more chances and despise a few attemts to use his shield as a weapon, Parmenion finaly managed to defeat him. Crowd spared Dixus’ life and Parmenion gained himself, as well as to House of Batiatus, very precious acknowledgement and reputation. First time in arena himself, first galdiator of House of Batiatus fighting in public became a winner.

Second Duel, well, lets say the fortune of Ludus Batiatus went down the cliff directly to a horse-shit hole.
Titus Vorren entered arena in a “rock-star” manner and crowd cheered, Gaius Aemilius entered arena … and crowd kept cheering, expecting to watch so interesting duel of a Secutor versus Retiarius.
I have NEVER seen so lomg “criticals-streak” as i saw during first two seconds of this match.
First, Gaius managed to throw away (critical miss no.1) his net during an attemt to sweep his oponent legs right at the beggining of the fight.
Second and Third, Titus seeing a good opportunity to easily win, tried to exploit the missfortune of his oponent with a combination of attacks. First one, a bash with his scutum resolved in geting the scutum unready, hanging in a weird angle on his forehand (criticall miss no.2) and second one, a swing against Gaius’ chest ended up with a sword flying 6 yards behind poor Titus (critical success on dodge on Gaius’ side, giving a critical miss no.3 to Titus).
Despise his unfortune at the begining, Gaius began to chase Titus all across the arena with a ruthless combinations of attacks, some of which Titus managed to avoid just by a skin of his teeth, desperately redying his shield back to the right grip and even more desperately seeking his lost blade.
Fortune seemed to glance The House of Batiatus with a breef smile for this moment and Gavius Batiatus almost cheered on his gladiator out loud. But fortune is a bitch not to be trusted much. At the end, Titus Vorren managed to get his sword back and coming with that, the advantage which he exploited shortly. Slashing fiercefully Gaius across the chest (critical hit), he sent his oponent (and his internet connection as well) to the darkness of unconsciousness. Luckily for Gaius, the crowd liked his fearless attempt to best his oponent even without a so important part of his equipment (the lost Melee-Net), so much, that his life was spared.

score: Ludus Batiatus 1/ Ludus Crassus 1

Third duel was short.. Jia threw away his helmet right away, not that he would not want to have his head protected, but it would probably limit him at his fighting style.
At the start of the duel, everything seemed to be very promissing for House of Batiatus. The crowd liked a lot, far-eastern and exotic style of Jia, who tumbled and “acrobated” around the giant teutonic Dimachaerus, while still threatening him with a quick stabs of his spear. Adawolf just “blindly” followed his oponent, swinging blades, geting his attacks deflected by the quick parries of Jia’s spear or just cutting trough the air, where just a moment ago Jia was. Then the luck kissed the giant teuton, who managed to land a lucky thrust with his off-blade right to the center of Jia’s chest (critical hit to vitals), sending the poor acrobat right down, to bite the dust (badly failed HT check on major wound).
Crowd spared the third life thistime, hoping to get more entertainment from this exotic acrobat, who threw away his helmet, bravely, even before the fight started.

Fortunately, no gladiator of Ludus Batiatus left his life at The First Games, but their path to glory, wealth and mayebe freedom, will be probably harder than was expected.